 When Marco discovered Karen's dalliances, he forced her (Julia Duffy) to become a "housewife hooker," prostituting in order for Karen to prevent Larry from uncovering the truth.By late 1977, Karen's leading storyline ramped up when actress Judith Light notably assumed the role of Karen.Early on, the character tended to be a typical soap opera gold-digging vixen, Light brought the character and the show to critical-acclaim.